Kayaker dies in Marin mishap

A Sonoma County man died in a kayaking accident Wednesday north of Tomales Bay, according to a Marin County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

The man was kayaking with a friend this afternoon along the Marin County Coast after setting out from a point near Nick’s Cove, north of Point Reyes, when the accident occurred, according to Lt. Doug Pittman. The pair had reached a point just north of Dillon Beach, near the county line, when they decided to turn back.

However, the victim fell into the water for an unknown reason. When the survivor turned back to help him, he found that the victim’s kayak was filling with water. He tried to pull the man from the water, but they both fell in, Pittman said.

In conditions of heavy surf and strong winds, the survivor was able to get himself back to shore, but he lost sight of his friend in the water. A fisherman at the scene saw the two kayakers in distress and reported the incident just after 4:30 p.m., Pittman said.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office, Marin County Fire Department, Tomales Fire Volunteers, the California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene. The Coast Guard helicopter and Marin County firefighters were able to retrieve the survivor from the rocky shoreline, which could not be reached by boat due to the high surf, but it was more than an hour before the victim’s body was spotted by a news helicopter in the area, Pittman said.

The man’s body was pulled from the water by helicopter, and he was pronounced deceased, Pittman said. He is described only as a Sonoma County resident around 50 years old. His identity has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. Pittman said the survivor told him that both men had been wearing life jackets when they set out.